IVF sibling round support

[itsmschanandlerbong]

Just wondered if there would be any interest in setting up a support thread for those of us thinking about a sibling round. This could very much be a 'me' issue but I feel a bit awkward sometimes posting in other threads, it's a bit like being stuck between being very lucky and fortunate having had a successful round, but also struggling with the challenges of having to go through it all over again. I've found it difficult to know my place in this community now.

So yeah, is anyone else trying or thinking about trying for their sibling round yet? Ill post a comment with our story.

@daisypizza Thank you :) Oh my goodness, dealing with airport and flight must have been horrendous (and sad you lost your scarf 🙁). I always felt it must be so much more stressful trying to arrange private scans and sharing information to Spain. Hopefully everything will be super smooth and easy! Are you getting a few days in Spain to get some sun as well? ;)

Ohhhh congratulations @2mumlife, great news! I'm so, so happy for you😍 Your body was giving you clear messages then 😉 Keeping everything crossed for positive results on Monday and on the 26th!

Thank you! and @daisypizza too! I'm falling into an ovulation test obsession that I had never experienced before 😅

@daisypizza wow you're been really brave after EC too! sorry about the scarf, losing things on the move is really upsetting... says the person who almost missed a flight searching for her scarf in the airport one time 🤦🏻‍♀️
That does sound quite stressful but I hope it will go smoothly once all the organisation of scans and so on is done. With the trigger you have some more control of the dates, I guess? Is this the same setup you had when you were trying for your little one? It does feel really weird for me too, knowing it's just progesterone afterwards, but also so much less intense!

@Hklg I'm sorry for your losses and for finding yourself in this situation. I don't have any experience myself but a few stories from friends:
At 38, and with a previous miscarriage, one friend moved to IVF because of AMH but also did PGT-A testing and is now pregnant after her second transfer of a euploid embryo.
In her late 30s and with several early miscarriages (no known cause but they always assumed poor egg quality), one friend was moving to IVF and then got pregnant naturally the month before starting. She was trying IVF for a sibling recently, but miscarried their only euploid embryo.
In her early 30s and with recurrent early miscarriages, one friend moved to IVF for male factor infertility, no PGT-A, and had successful transfers once they discovered she had a blood clotting disorder and sorted that out.
I'm not sure that's very helpful at all... I hope you can get more advice from the boards.

@beachbum85 Thank you! I'm so blooming distracted now today. I've never done ovulation tests, do you just use FMU like a pregnancy test? That's interesting they give you the extra progesterone support as well even on a natural FET.

Haha @2mumlife I don't blame you... don't think it's possible to think of anything else after a positive test! 😄
So, I have cheapo Amazon tests which are dipsticks and they suggest afternoon/early evening, then you use an app and it detects the ratio between the test line and control line (so based on previous months it goes from low at 0.2 for example, to high at 0.8, to peak around 1.5 or higher, and then down again).
But the clinic gave me a set of Clearblue digital tests, where you use FMU and it will detect LH over 40MIU/ml and show a smiley face if you're about to ovulate.
You can tell I spent a good chunk of timing reading up on this yesterday... was worried about what to do if the different tests give different results🤦🏻‍♀️

Eeeeeeek congratulations @2mumlife, that's amazing news!!!!

@MindatWork Thank you :)

@beachbum85 Got back into work eventually this afternoon for a bit! That would be really confusing if your two systems of ovulation don't agree! Hopefully they wont say different things!

@2mumlife how are you doing? good luck with your bloods today! 🤞🏼

@daisypizza did you come on as expected? 🤞🏼

Finally got a positive ovulation test this morning! Last month was really early, and this time was the latest over the past 6 cycles or so, so obviously my mind was playing games... But just waiting for the call from my clinic to schedule transfer, should be the 11th!

@beachbum85 Got bloods done this morning thanks, loads of traffic there and back. Felt reassuringly nauseous this morning! Wont get result back until tomorrow.

That's exciting to have your positive ovulation test! Did all your different testing methods align? Exciting to have date for transfer 😁

Good news @beachbum85 , sounds like it will be all systems go very soon!

@2mumlife nausea sounds v reassuring at this point (not much fun tho 😑)

I've just taken my last Norethisterone so will be starting a bleed in in the next 2-3 days - then I have to call the clinic to book a baseline scan on CD 2-3. I need this scan to be on Friday as I'm off work so I'm trying to remember how long it took me to start bleeding after stopping it last time. I had a panic last night that I was going to come on too early as I'm cramping so much, so i took a cheeky extra tablet this morning.

I've just had a piece of toblerone as a pre-lunch snack 😅

@2mumlife nausea definitely welcome at this point! Although definitely not nice in the traffic though... Everything crossed for a positive result 🤞🏼🤞🏼

Yep, my 2 ovulation testing systems lined up, luckily!
The clinic didn't receive my email first time, somehow, so I'm waiting for them to let me know the timing but transfer will definitely happen on Sunday, which feels so soon and is my partner's birthday, so I'm hoping that's a good omen ✨

@MindatWork I hope everything aligns for you for a scan on Friday! The scheduling part of everything is super stressful, and I definitely understand the panic and the chocolate 😁 keep us posted

@MindatWork Hope everything aligns well for Friday. Is there a way you can get to the scan if its a day either side?

@beachbum85 That's frustrating the clinic missed your first email but at least everything is still organised for your transfer! Hope it is a good omen it being your hubbies birthday!

Got my beta hcg back earlier today and levels are really good, so everything looks like its progressing as expected just now. Now just in that anxious wait again until early pregnancy scan. Trying to accept that there is absolutely nothing I can do now other than let nature do what its going to do and just hope this sticky bean keeps going

@2mumlife great news on the beta, fingers crossed for continued good news from you.

@MindatWork I’m mostly astounded that you just ate a piece of toblerone and not a whole one! Hoping the scan works out.

@beachbum85 yes my period has started which is great and my meds arrived today and I felt a bit excited. Great that your transfer is so soon!

I have had a curve ball that my vitamin D levels were low last week so have another blood test tomorrow. I will be absolutely gutted if FET gets postponed due to this, we’ve already postponed for months longer than I wanted to and I can’t do next month. But my clinic think low vitamin D can affect implantation so I also wouldn’t want to potentially waste a precious embryo. I am kicking myself for not paying more attention to the info about vitamin D, I have been taking Pregnacare with vitamin D in it but levels were deficient. I won’t get the blood test results until Thursday or Friday so have scans booked next week as planned and waiting to book travel, just watching flights and hotels get more expensive but not a lot I can do. Hoping that I can get the go ahead but will take the advice of the clinic, they are super thorough.

@daisypizza Wow your clinic sound so thorough checking vit D! What are they recommending? Can you start taking a higher dosage supplement? It’s so hard to make decisions when you obviously want to get going with a transfer but also want to feel like everything you can do is perfect for transfer. Hope they can come up with a plan that means you can go ahead this month

Ohhh @daisypizza thats such a bummer, really keeping everything crossed for you that you manage to go ahead this month. It’s so frustrating when you just want to get going and things keep getting in the way.

@2mumlife glad to hear your beta looked good, hope you’re not too tired and nauseous.

@beachbum85 hope everythings sorted with the clinic 👍🏻

Everything worked out ok in the end here, I came on this morning so have my baseline scan and nurse consult booked for tomorrow morning. Just had my first cetrotide injection - forgot how much they sting! Asda didn’t send me a sharps bin so I’ve had to put the used syringe in an old Tupperware box for now 🤣🤣🤣

@2mumlife congrats, that's excellent news about your HCG levels! Do you have a scan booked? Hope it all continues smoothly for you 🤩

@daisypizza how frustrating for you! how did the second blood test go? it's great that your clinic is being so thorough... as you say, giving your embryo the best chance is the most important thing, but I can definitely understand the stress with scheduling and delays. Keeping everything crossed that you can go ahead 🤞🏼

@MindatWork glad to hear it all worked as planned, and I hope all goes well tomorrow! And that they give you a proper sharps box 😅

Yes, thank you, all sorted for transfer on Sunday morning 💪🏼 we got a bit of a fright as the nurses realised our virology results were out of date, just when they were scheduling, so we had to go in yesterday morning to get them redone urgently, but seems like it's all sorted now, or at least I haven't heard otherwise! Can't believe it's happening so soon!

@daisypizza Hope you’ve been able to still go ahead with this cycle

@MindatWork Im not feeling too bad - as you say tired but nauseous but managing alright. Hope everything goes well for your baseline scan :)

@beachbum85 We’ve got wary pregnancy scan with the clinic on the 26th. Forgot what a long wait it feels like. Glad they noticed about your virology results in time to get it sorted! Do you have anything nice planned for after your transfer?

@2mumlife glad you're coping with the tiredness and nausea OK 💪🏼 I hope time flies for you till the 26th... It does sound like a long time! I had forgotten about all the waiting that happens after the BFP.

Nothing planned for the days immediately after transfer, except lots of work to catch up on, but we'll be going home at the end of the TWW. Turns out we'd need to test whilst at my parents house but I think we might do it just before leaving!

@MindatWork I still have a sharps bin from previous IVF, we had so many as had treatment abroad and nowhere at home would take the sharps.

Glad you have managed to get started.

@2mumlife the wait until the early scan seemed to go so slowly, hope you continue feeling just a tiny bit nauseous for reassurance!

@beachbum85 only a few days until transfer, can I ask what cycle day you will be? Just for comparison.

I’m still waiting to hear the plan from my clinic. The private blood test said my Vitamin D levels were normal but the range me clinic use is slightly different and the still consider my current levels deficient. I’ve been taking extra vitamin D and DH has been cooking meat and fish to try to help. Who knows, I’ve kind of talked myself down a bit in case it’s postponed (which I think it will be). I may keep scan appointment next week if it will tell the clinic anything useful about my cycle. But will be absolutely kicking myself if it’s postponed over something so simple. At the same time now I know the levels are low I’m a bit reluctant to go ahead and if it doesn’t work be beating myself up about that too.

Our embryos are donor egg embryos, had lots of own egg cycles which didn’t work. Not sure how I would feel about having to get another donor but hoping it doesn’t come to that. I don’t know about anyone else but my mind goes to so many what if scenarios it’s exhausting. I need a switch to stop thinking about it sometimes! I saw maternity clothes at the back of the wardrobe recently and it just ramped up the broodiness!

@beachbum85 Yeah the wait seems forever but early scan will be at about 7 weeks so really can’t scan much earlier I guess

@daisypizza I can understand not wanting to go ahead as you’d always be wondering “what if” if it was a negative result ar the end. Do you have tested embryos ? I can understand being reluctant about using a different donor as well, hopeowint he needed for you

@2mumlife yes, definitely, and you wouldn't want them to scan earlier and maybe have inconclusive results either... Just another case of being patient, but it'll all be worth it 😍

Transfer day is here! Still can't believe it...

@daisypizza it's CD20 today, got the positive ovulation test on CD14.
I can totally understand you playing the scenarios over and over in your head. Frustrating as it often is, the clinics are cautious because they want us to have positive results too, so hopefully they're clear about what you should do. I really hope you get to go ahead 🤞🏼 when will you know?

@MindatWork how are you feeling?

Hope everyone else is well and having a good weekend

@beachbum85 Happy transfer day!!! Hope it all goes smoothly and calmly. Keeping everything crossed this is a sticky bean for you 🤞🤞

Thank you so much @2mumlife ! I was surprisingly calm and it went well... A bit more uncomfortable than I remember it being, but embryo thawed great, and it's in! Now we wait and hope 🤞🏼🤞🏼

@beachbum85 was about to post to wish you luck but so pleased to see you’re done already!
Wrestling toddler into car has been like a workout this morning.

@2mumlife the embryos aren’t tested but the donor clearly had much better eggs than I did! We were very fortunate that the first donor transfer worked.

I think we are minded to postpone. DH has kind of forgotten some of the stuff we have going on in the next few months that will make it tricky to arrange, but that is good his thinking is not swayed by those factors. We’ll see what our consultant says, as @beachbum85 says they also want it to work (not as much as we do but whether it’s because they care about patients or stats or whatever we all want the same outcome).

@daisypizza That’s amazing your first transfer worked!! If you have to postpone will you need to wait awhile then? I guess it will give plenty time for getting vit D levels up :)

@beachbum85 Glad it went smoothly if uncomfortable. I actually thought it wasn’t as uncomfortable as I remembered. Will your OTD be 10dpt?

Thanks @daisypizza and @2mumlife !
I definitely was glad my partner was there with me this time, helped a lot with the discomfort. It's funny how the mind remembers things one way or another over time... OTD is 12dp5dt which seems pretty late, so I think we might test a few days earlier when we're both home here together.

@daisypizza when will you be speaking to your consultant? Whatever you decide to do, I hope you have great luck once again with the donor transfer and it works right away 😊